Apparatus for assembling connector plugs



April 15, 95 c. H. wu -|o1- 2,593,081

APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING CONNECTOR PLUGS Filed Aug. 25, 1948 2SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR. Ua/"ZeJ T/Vizmac fJTTORA/EYJ' Patented Apr. 15,1952 1 UNITED S ATE APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING CONNECTOR PLUGS Charles H;Wilmot, Gales Ferry, Conn., assignor to The Plastic Wire & CableCorporation, Jewett City, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut ApplicationAugust 25, 1948, Serial No. 46,016

' 4 Claims. (01. 29.s)

This invention relates to machines for. assembling electrical connectorplugs and more particularly to a machine for assembling the contacts,which have been attached to conductors, with a body of resilientmaterial having preformed passageways for receiving and positioning thecontacts and'attached conductors.

Heretofore in assembling contacts and conductors with the plugs, theneck of the plug adjacent the base of the plug would be engaged by theneedles for drawing in the contacts as the same: were inserted throughthe passages of the plug. Engagement of the needles with the walls ofthe base aperture, however, many times caused damage'to-the walls. Thistype of assembly also had the disadvantage that the insulation on theconnector cord would engage the end of the plug and would strip back asthe contacts are pulled in position.

An effort was made to avoid these difliculties by providing pivotedfingers which were moved into the base aperture and separated to stretchthe neck and hold it out of contact with the needles during theirpassage through the body to pull the contacts and connector cord inplace and to hold the neck open until the cord had passed into theapertures to avoid the stripping of the insulation. This, however, wasunsatisfactory in that the fingers which were automatically inserted inthe base aperture to spread the neck had a tendency, due to forcefuloperation on the neck, torip the body and tear the base adjacent theaperture.

The present invention overcomes these dimculties by providing a guidemeans which protects the plug body during the insertion of the contactsand cord therein and which has guide it passes into the base apertureand thereby preventing it from being stripped during this operation. Theguide means can be used in connection with the manual insertion of thecontacts or with machine insertion where the needles are actuated by apower operator.

In the preferred form of the invention the guide means is afunnel-shaped guide which is split longitudinally and has a neckportion'which is inserted in the base opening of the plug and isprovided with an innersurface which will receivethe ends of the needlewithin the neck portion so that the two portions of the guide can bespread thereby. The guide also has a large mouth portion into which thecord moves and is guided thereby through the narrow portion and into thebody of the plug.

In order to insure that the needles will at all times enter the guidemeans, it is at present preferred to provide means for temporarilyspreading the guide means slightly to insure that the opening in theguide means will be wide enough to receive the needles as they passthrough the plug body. As soon as the needleslare in the body, the meansbecomes inoperative to spread the guide means which are thereafterspread by the action of the needles. This temporary spreading means alsowill support the guide means and prevent the guide means from returningto normal position after the needles have left the same and while thecontacts and connector cord connected thereto move into the body.

A feature of the invention is the novel apparatus whereby the contactsare assembled with the body without damage thereto in which the body isspread by the needles while at the same time being protected by theguide of the present invention.

Other features and advantages of the invention vwill be apparent fromthe specification and claims when considered in connection with thedrawings in which: 3

Figure 1 shows a view of the machine embodying the presentinvention'with the guide means inserted in the base and the needles instarting position. a

Fig. 2 shows a view similar to Fig. 1 with the guide means slightlyspread and the needles passing into the opening oftheguide." The amountof spread given to the body is exaggerated inthis view so that theposition of the needles may be better seen.

Fig. 3 shows a view similar to Fig. 1 with the needles completelyextended through the body and the guide means spread thereby.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the needles on the returnstroke.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the contacts and connector cordin final position. i

i Fig. 6 is a side view of the machine.

As shown in Fig. 1 the machine comprisesn base In having a base plate Hmounted thereon and provided with ways 12 for supporting theneedle-operating slide [3. This slide may be driven by the usualhydraulic or manually operated power means. In the herein illustratedform of the invention, it is operated by a manually operated-gearl4mounted on a shaft l5 and rotated by a handle I6. The gear mesheswith'a rack I1 formed on the top of the slide 13 so that by rotating thegear the slide 13 is caused to re-'- ciprocate in the ways l2. The slide13 has projecting from its forward end a'p'air of contact orblade-inserting members or needles l8 having plug spreading portions 18aintermediate their ends and at their forward end hooks l8]; to which thecontacts are connected to be withdrawn into the body. i

A support i9 is mounted on the base I l and has a cavity 20 therein forreceiving the plug body. The support i9 is provided with slots Na and issecured tothe base by screws 21 so that it may be adjusted on the baseto accommodate plug bodies" of different lengths.

The'plu'g'body 22 as shown insection has a centralaperture' 23 'andapair of contact or bladereceiving s1ots24 therein. The support is alsoprovided'with a spreader cam 25 to engage the ends of theblade-inserting members, as they move toward engagement with the plug,and spread the same and guide them intothe slots.

The guide means of the present invention is illustrated as comprising abody 26 which is dividedor split longitudinally at 2'! to provide twoparts-28, 29. The body has a reduced neck "26'awhich is adapted to beinserted in the central aperture or the base opening ofthe plug body"and is provided with a funnel bore therethrough having alarge mouth atits outer end and terminating in a small mouth' in the reduced portion26a. The two parts are carried'by supporting the-guide which extendsintothe body of the plug is flared outwardly so as to facilitate thereception'of the ends, of the blade-inserting members l8. In order toinsure that the blade-inserting 'members will at all times enter themouth, the present invention provides means for temporarily spreadingthe guide parts in timed relation to the movement of the blade-insertingmembers. One such means is herein illustrated as comprising 'a cam "42carried on extension- 43 mounted on slide I3 to be moved with theblade-inserting members. The cam 42 engages the ends 32a, 33a of theslides and moves them apart slightly as the carriage moves forward.In'the present preferred form of the invention, the width of the cam 42is sufficient to open the; neck without substantial spreading of theplug.

As soon as the needles are between the slides, the bowed portion I'Bathereof engages the walls of the guides and acts to spread them.

The functioning of the structure will probably be better understood bycarrying through the operation of assembling a pair of contacts, hereinillustratedas blade contacts such-as used to form a male connector plug,and aconnector cord with a plug body. As shown in Fig-1, the first 'stepin the assembly comprises inserting. the plug body into the cavity 20 onthe support with the portion 26a of the guide in position in the centralaperture of the plug body. The handle 16 is rotated to the rear causingthe slide l3 to be moved forwardly. As the slide moves forwardly cam 42engages the blocks 32, 33 and moves the guide parts 28, 29 apartslightly, as shown in Fig. 2, to insure the entrance of the'needlesbetween the guide parts. As noted previously, the spread has beenexaggerated in this view in order to clearly show the position of theends of the bladeinserting members or needles l8 between the guideparts. Continued movement of the handle causes the needles to passthrough the guide I parts and the portions l8a thereof will spread theguide parts, as shown in Fig. 3, and at the same time spread the neck ofthe plug to enable the contacts and connector cord to be moved therein.At the end of the forward stroke, the ends of the needles project beyondthe guide as shown in Fig. 3 and the contacts 44 and connector cord 45are readily attached to the hooks I812. The handle is then operated inthe reverse direction withdrawing the needles and pulling the contactsand attached connector cord through the guide and into the body as shownin Fig. 4. It will be noted in Fig. 4 that the member 42 is'about toengage the ends of the'blocks and temporarily support the guide parts asthe needles move out of engagement therewith to hold said guide partsagainst movement into engagement with one another. This forms a passagetherethrough and into the plug body for the connectors and connectorcord attached thereto, protecting the same against contact with theend-of the body and thus eliminating the stripping of the insulationfrom the cord.

After the contacts have been pulled into final position, as shown inFig. 5, the needles return to the position of Fig. 1 and are releasedfrom the blades. The contact plug is then withdrawn from the support andpulled from the end of the guide means and removed from the machine.Since the guide means are pressed together by very light springs thegrip on the connector cord is not sufiicient to strip the insulationfrom the conductors during this removal.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a novel and improved methodof assembling the connector plug is provided by the present invention,which method insures less damage to the plug and cord and greatlyfacilitates the assembling operation. It is also apparent that the guidemember of the present invention protects the walls against damage by theneedles as the walls are spread by the movement of the needles andguides and leads the connector cords into position in the body withoutdanger of stripping the insulation therefrom.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope ofthis-invention and. portions of the improvements may be used'withoutothers.

I claim: I

1. "A machine 'for assembling a double terminal cohn'ectorcord having acontact'blade secured to each terminal within a connector-plug ofresilient material formed with a central aperture extend- 'ing from therear of said plug within said body and merging with spacedblade-receiving slots extending from within said base 'to' the front ofsaid plug comprising a plug holder; spaced blade- 1 inserting member'smounted in front of said plug;

means on "each of said members for securing a blade thereto; means forreciprocating said members to move the same simultaneously through saidslots and aperture to the rear of said plug and withdrawing them forpulling a contact blade into each of the spaced slots; a guidecomprising two parts, each having a portion extending into the centralaperture to overlie the side wall thereof, means mounting said parts forlateral movement with respect to said aperture; means operated inadvance of the blade-inserting members to spread said guide parts toreceive the members between them with said portions of the guideextending into the central aperture lying between the wall and member,said lastnamed means being thereafter inoperative; and divergentportions on said members to engage said portions of the guide and spreadsaid parts to a greater extent when the members are moved through thesaid portions to receive the blades, said portions of the guide alsoprotecting the walls of the aperture from damage by the members duringmovement of the members therethrough and during passage or" the bladesinto the plug by the blade pulling movement of said members.

2. A machine for assembling a double terminal connector cord having acontact blade secured to each terminal within a connector plug ofresilient material formed with a central aperture extending from therear of said plug within said body and merging with spacedblade-receiving slots extending from within said base to the front ofsaid plug comprising a plug holder; spaced blade-inserting membersmounted in front of said plug; means on each of said members forsecuring a blade thereto; means for reciprocating said members to movethe same simultaneously through said slots to the rear of said plug andwithdrawing them for pulling a contact blade into each of the spacedslots; a guide comprising two parts, each having a portion extendinginto the central aperture; spring means urging said parts together;opening means operated in timed relation with the movement of theblade-inserting members and .operative only during part of the movementof said members to temporarily spread said guide parts to receive themembers between them; and bowed portions on said members engaging saidportions on said guide parts to spread said parts to a greater extent toopen the aperture sufficiently to receive the blades, said opening meanstemporarily separating said guide parts after the members move out ofcontact therewith during the pulling of the blades into the plug by saidmembers.

3. A machine for assembling a double terminal connector cord having acontact blade secured i to each terminal within a connector plug ofresilient material formed with a central aperture extending from therear of said plug within said body and merging with spacedblade-receiving slots extending from within said base to the front ofsaid plug comprising a plug holder; spaced blade-inserting membersmounted in front of said plug; means on each of said members forsecuring a blade thereto; means for reciprocating said members to movethe same simultaneously through said slots and aperture to the rear ofsaid plug and withdrawing them for pulling a contact blade into each ofthe spaced slots; a guide comprising a body having a tubular neckportion at one end to extend into the central aperture of the plug and awide funnel-shaped mouth at the other end to receive and guide theblades and attached connector cord into the plug, said guide body beingdivided along a vertical plane into two parts, means mounting said partsfor lateral movement with respect to said aperture; means operated inadvance of the bladeinserting members to spread said guide parts toreceive the members between them with said neck portions lying betweenthe wall and member, said last-named means being thereafter inoperative;and divergent portions on said members to engage said neck portions andspread said parts to a greater extent when the members are moved throughthe said neck portions to receive the blades, said neck portionsprotecting the walls of the aperture from damage by the members duringmovement of the members therethrough and during passage of the bladesinto the plug by the blade pulling movement of said members and saidfunnel-shaped mouth guiding the blades to the plug during the pullingmovement of said members.

4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein common manually actuatablemeans actuates the means operated in advance of the bladeinsertingmembers for spreading the guide parts and the means forreciprocating the blade inserting members.

CHARLES H. WILMOT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 463,473 Beam Nov. 1'7, 1891979,438 Courtney Dec. 27, 1910 2,169,777 Wertzheiser Aug. 15, 19392,198,966 Herman Apr. 30, 1940 2,231,348 Reutter Feb. 11, 1941 2,278,176Herman Mar. 31, 1942 2,281,479 Chirelstein Apr. 28, 1942

